


The Oncoming Storm

by Jonn_Wolfe



Series: Rose River Alternate Universe [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, wibbly wobbly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 00:14:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2896073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonn_Wolfe/pseuds/Jonn_Wolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The end of the Time War, and a companion-less Ninth Doctor. The Darkest Story in the series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Oncoming Storm

## *Chapter 1*: The Moment

* * *

It was a stupid thing, really, the war. Stupidity on the scale of colossal with an added state of idiocy and cowardice. And, it was entirely his fault. Two little wires separated by five measly inches of space, one in each hand, while he was pontificating the morality of the act. 'Did he have the right', and all that rot.

The answer to that was no, but there were orders, and at the time they seemed completely unreasonable. Five inches of space that eventually became more, and he'd gone the way of the coward. Thus, he'd committed his entire species into the Third Time War.

It was his fault.

He was an idiot.

Thoughts like this usually spiralled out of him every day or so during the war, but never so poignant as during the Battle of the Nightmare Child: A being brought into existence by the Cult of Skaro for the Emperor. A being that consumed life through creating madness. Madness that he laughed at.

His laughter ceased when two beings were consumed by it. The first was Davros, which in hindsight wasn't that bad of a thing. Still, he did try to save him only to have the act thrown in his face as the mechanical chair was torn apart.

The second he didn't find out about until after it was over. One of four Time Lords assigned to the area to convolute and involute the vortex in such a manner as to bombard the Nightmare Child with time itself. It was supposed to rapidly age the beast, and failed utterly by making it stronger. The reason for that was the miscalculation of one of the other Time Lords in the quartet.

When the Doctor realized that his elder and only brother Braxiatel had been thoroughly wiped from time, he came to the very wrong conclusion: _The Valeyard Was Right_.

Ignoring his beloved ship for the first time in seven lifetimes, he shed his Victorian attire, shorn his long locks, and replaced the wool with a derivative of the Chancellery Guard's armour. Instead of the signatory red and white, it was midnight blue and black in the style of the planet he so loved. It was the first time that his sonic screwdriver had been given a dalekanium setting, which was as close as he could get to carrying a staser without feeling the right hypocrite.

Multiple star systems were rent open from his wrath, and in the linear course of seventeen years, the Doctor earned several titles from the Daleks and their allies. In addition to their original, Ka Faraq Gatri: the Bringer of Darkness, his method of using the vortex itself as a weapon earned him Destroyer of Worlds – as he literally cracked them open like so many eggs. Of them all, The Oncoming Storm was the one that took root.

As for Earth, it was the only thing that called him back from that downward spiral of madness. They were innocent, and he'd vowed to protect humanity. The potential of them all was something that the other time sensitive races either ignored, or had blinders too. He knew they would outlive the universe if given enough of a chance.

Called into a virtual meeting with the other forces of the TARDIS fleet, his was the only mouth to drop open when they were told of the Ultimate Sanction: a paradox so vast that it would rip the vortex apart and destroy the fabric of reality. Rassilon thanked him personally for the idea.

His own madness broken, the Doctor stole The Great Key from the bowels of an unnamed prison planet. Using it, he called the original De-mat gun back into existence and heavily modified it. Instead of removing a small area from time and space, his modifications increased its effectiveness to the point where he could remove Gallifrey itself – when used to target a specific point.

Even still, he tried to reason with Lord President Rassilon. When that failed, he threatened him with the one moment that he would never be able to control. The laughter that evoked from the near religious figure killed the last vestige of mercy he had.

Faced with everything or nothing, the Doctor realized that Gallifrey was already lost. The choice was rather simple to make, when balancing existence against his home planet. Still, even while he went through the motions of modifications, his mind was spinning over different possible solutions. Each one of those was worse than the one he was going through.

Oddly enough, the TARDIS agreed with him. And that sensation wasn't something he expected at all.

In a stationary orbit over the planet, the Doctor's modifications to the rather large rifle had it hooked directly into the console. Clamped to the floor on a raised platform, the thing was the antithesis of everything he believed in. He hated guns, and this was the epitome.

Standing at the main console interface, the Doctor pulled down the monitor. Targeting information scrolled and rotated as the Panopticon of the Capitol came into focus. A few adjustments and he could see through the broken shell of the city dome, and into the Great Hall.

One hundred metres below the floor of the Hall, rested the Eye of Harmony – Qqaba, it was once called, before Omega involuted it into a singularity. The single most massive star to ever have existed, compressed and converted into the power source of Gallifrey and every TARDIS the Time Lords would ever use. Enough power for over a trillion years, it was rumoured that the Eye of Harmony would outlive the universe.

Once every calculation was in place, and the other failing solutions numbered in eight digits, the Doctor opened the outer door of the TARDIS. Staring, he swallowed as he took in the majesty of Gallifrey, then frowned at the plethora of Dalek and Gallifreyan warships that were marring the space surrounding it. Guilty, he had to turn away, retreating to the contraption that was hard wired into the console. Hand resting on the trigger lever, he actually sighted down the barrel while cursing his own existence.

Something odd was happening, causing him to stand up straight. Gallifrey was flickering in and out. Looking at his hands, he briefly considered if the gun had gone off without him realizing, but it hadn't. Staring out the door again, he saw Gallifrey vanish. Counting the milliseconds, he felt the TARDIS pressing him to wait while he panicked.

Ten point three eight seconds later, Gallifrey reappeared. Along with it, was an overwhelming urgency. Every fibre of his being was screaming 'NOW!' and his hand slid the trigger lever back with a crack.

Humming, the De-mat gun fired a crimson violet beam of energy, instantly destroying the Great Hall, to impact on the obelisk shell of the Eye. It lasted a fraction of a second longer than the Hall, before the energies within detonated.

The feedback was immense, and the Doctor caught a flash of blue before the gun itself exploded. Hearing the TARDIS scream in his mind was something he never expected. But, that in itself paled in comparison to a little over a billion telepaths screeching horrifically in the back of his mind as they died.

He never new he was screaming before blackness took him. Somewhere deep within him, he heard an overwhelming feminine voice calling to him from everywhere as he lost consciousness. _'Oh Beloved, Live!'_

* * *

 

## *Chapter 2*: Aftermath

* * *

The first thing the Doctor came to realize, was that there shouldn't be pain when you're dead. The second thing was that he was caught in a five second time loop. The last thing he discovered about himself was that he couldn't feel any sort of gravity.

Opening his eye turned out to be a bit of a mistake. The room was beyond bright, and played havoc with dimensional reasoning. Squinting through the shuddering stuttering of those looping five seconds, he could see the console room being reconfigured around him. His mental link with the ship told him that she was cannibalizing quite a bit of her own matter to save both him and herself. The brightness died away when he saw the shell of the room coalesce into a coral sphere. _No artificial theme then, it's au naturel,_ he thought. Then came the next obvious thought. _Why am I still alive?_

"Because you must be," a feminine voice said to his right. Turning his head, his one remaining eye took in something impossible. He could see a woman in red robes standing a bit away from him with her head back and arms outstretched, deep in concentration. The other figure was what had his attention though. Transparent, he couldn't make out any features, save for the outline that determined that this was a female.

He thought he was hallucinating, but ran with it. "Killers must be brought to justice," he rasped out.

The golden apparition reached her hand out to touch his face. "No. You saved creation."

"By killing everyone?" he asked while closing his eye.

He felt the thumb of her hand rub his cheek. "By stopping those who would end everything else."

"I don't deserve to live," he whispered.

The force of the grip on his chin had his eye opening automatically to look at her. "YES, you do," she said with a voice that was final in its declaration.

The other lady in the room was next to her at this point. "You must rejoin," she told her. "You've been out too long as it is."

Only able to tell that the apparition looked at her from the change in her outline, the Doctor could see her nod. Then, she bent down and kissed him. As soon as her vaporous lips were on his, he could feel his regeneration kicking in, and he fought back. Lack of gravity didn't help him, and the more he fought, the stronger the energy within him grew. Before he realized what was happening, he exploded with a scream.

His next thought when he was aware of himself again, was "No." Sitting up, he looked at his hands and found them to be larger than he remembered. Past his hands was more evidence that he'd grown with this regeneration, as he could see tattered socks sticking out the ends of his boots. His clothes were tight as well.

Completely uncomfortable, the Doctor pulled himself upright with the console, then noticed the changes to the room. Everything was coral now. Nothing else for it, he left to go find out where the wardrobe ended up.

Stumbling into the room, he looked around and found that while the ship was still repairing itself, she'd managed to hold on to some clothes. Dropping his tattered clothing as he went, he ended up sitting on a bench for a long time, sobbing. The silence in his mind was too much, and he could feel snapshots of memory and thought flicking about in his head in complete disarray.

With nothing but chaos in his mind, he ended up staggering through the wardrobe and depended on the TARDIS to guide him to the clothing he was after. After twenty minutes of getting his boxers, dark trousers, jumper, leather jacket, socks and boots on, it felt like he was shoved into a room he thought was completely destroyed a long time ago: The zero room.

* * *

It was the next day when he was able to come out, and other than being able to feel the ship and the surrounding dimensions again, his brain still insisted he was in the zero room. After satisfying his stomach in the galley with something that resembled food, he was standing in the console room again. Standing by way of having his arms wrapped around one of the coral supports and fighting tears.

It startled him when it happened, but he could feel the ship's matrix swell in his mind, trying to fill the gaps that over a billion minds once inhabited. It didn't help much, but he could tell that the old girl was doing her best. Then he realized that she was just as out of it as he was, and sent her his gratitude – such as it was – over her efforts.

Another hour passed before he could let go of the support, and he familiarized himself with the new configuration of the console. Nothing was out of place, but what was used seemed to have come from the TARDIS attic. Everything from a glass paperweight to a bicycle pump was hooked in. The sight of it all actually made him smirk. "Guess we go with what we have," he mumbled.

Instead of asking about the status of Gallifrey, which he knew already, he programmed Earth's coordinates into the navigation system, then went about the console while the ship moved through the vortex. The ride was more than bumpy, and he found himself on his arse more than once before they landed.

Not caring about what date it was, he stumbled out the door and let himself feel the world turning under his feet. The tectonic forces calmed him a bit, as did the bustle of the city around him. London he figured, always London. The smell of the air said it was sometime close to the end of the twentieth century or just into the twenty first. Opening his eyes, he could see the cars and realized it was approximately two thousand and five.

Satisfied that Earth was where it was supposed to be, he went back in the TARDIS. "Same old thing?" he asked aloud, not expecting an answer. The ship surprised him when he felt the pressure of her matrix increase, and swore he could feel her sympathy. "Distract me with something," he asked. "I can't stand the quiet," he rasped.

He was still next to the doors when the central column of the console started up. While it somewhat surprised him, he didn't seem to really notice. Making his way over, he pulled the new monitor around to the keyboard and read what was in front of him. "That's… not good."

The date was a few weeks later than when he initially landed and noticed he got the year right, it was still Earth, and he could see a warp shunt trail leading down to the surface. What was most disturbing about it, was that the readings from the ship stated that it was made completely from polymers. "Very not good," he muttered.

* * *

 

## *Chapter 3*: Autons

* * *

Tracking the Nestene was problematic. The ship they were using had a cloaking device, and the signals it was generating were scattered. Not liking it, the Doctor prepared himself with several things. Two of them were outright bombs, but the third was a bluish purple coloured, viscus liquid. He'd used it before in the war, but that was only after the Nestene switched sides.

The strongest signal was coming from a relay station at a clothing shop of all places. While it was ridiculous, it made the most sense. Shop dummies were used before, and they made the easiest foot soldiers.

The Doctor didn't bother with the name of the place, and had parked the TARDIS across the street. Sonicing his way through the back door, he checked every floor, and only came across one human. He was dead of course, having had his own shirt buttons turned against him. It was disgusting, but not unexpected.

The basement proved to be devoid of people, but the last door turned out to be a storage place for various shop dummies. "Ah," he said as they turned their heads towards him. Tossing the smaller of his two bombs to the back of the room, he ran for the lift. A half dozen of the surviving dummies were hot on his tail.

Sonic in front of him, he had the lift doors open before he got there. They closed around the head and arm of one of the dummies. The only way to get the doors shut was to twist them both off, then punch the remainder back outside the lift.

Killing the signal to the arm with his sonic, he tucked the head under his arm as the lift went to the roof. Annoyed with the music, he killed the speaker with his sonic as well. Jazzy lift music wasn't something he was prepared to deal with right now. That, and the fact it was Barry Manilow. He grinned at the slight shower of sparks.

Finding the transmitter under the mobile tower was child's play, and he set the second bomb right on top of it. Giving himself a three minute head start, he bolted down the three flights of stairs to the back door.

He was outside and halfway across the street when the roof went up. Turning, he grinned at the sight. "Fantastic."

* * *

Sensors wired into the head of the dummy, the Doctor traced the signal back to the Thames before it got lost. Looking up, he saw the head melting. "That helps," he mumbled sarcastically.

Wanting to get his bearings, he stepped out of the ship to see where he was. The scent of the Thames greeted him, and he nearly got his shoes wet. Looking about, he pulled his sonic out for a scan when he saw the London Eye. "That would do it," he commented dryly. Seeing a culvert access to his right, he actually smirked when he opened it. The heat coming up was swimming with the scent of plastic.

Access down the ladder was unimpeded, and he found himself in a rather large underground structure. Flashes of memory and light distracted him a bit as he found more ladders, chains, and something that looked like a vat. He blinked once with a frown, then stepped forward.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness, under peaceful contract, according to Convention Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation," he stated calmly.

There was a rumble and a voice. ~Granted.~

"Thank you," the Doctor nodded. "If I might have permission to approach?" The shuddering inside the vat hinted at impatience. Walking down the ladders, he came to an interesting overhang that was above the vat. Interesting, as in how convenient it was. He wasn't sure if he liked that or not.

"Am I addressing the consciousness?" he asked, then nodded at the reply. "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of Warp Shunt technology. So may I suggest with the greatest respect that you shunt off?" he asked with a frown.

The rumble was less than kind. ~Under article eighty three: As a dying species, We claim this planet as reparations for what was lost in the war.~

The Doctor glowered and sounded rather quiet. "You're a bit late for that. I'm quite familiar with that section. And, under subsection B iii, as the Last of the Time Lords I'm telling you point blank: _Get off my planet_ ," he said with a bit of a snarl.

~Time Lord!~ the viscous plastic growled.

Hearing some scuffling behind him, the Doctor ducked and spun about. Nerve strikes were useless against the pair of shop dummies, so he grabbed them by their clothes and yanked them towards the edge. Since they were so light, they fell without much fuss.

Facing the vat again, the Doctor tilted his head to crack his neck. "Remember… I asked nicely." Pulling a vial from his pocket, he thumbed the stopper out of the end of it, then tossed it into the vat. Leaving the way he came, he didn't flinch at the screams.

* * *

There was a disapproving hum as he entered the TARDIS. Coming round to the screen and keyboard, he was muttering. "Shut it. I've lost too much. Not losing Earth as well. These stupid little people have only just learned how to walk, and they're capable of so much more. I'm giving them that chance. And no, I don't care what happens to me, so stuff it."

Typing rapidly, he had the ship scan the Sol system, then forward in time to the next set of idiots that wanted his piece of the universe. Finding one, his brow arched. "Raxacoricofallapatorian? They're peaceful though."

Pausing for thought, he set the coordinates. "Peaceful or not, no one's harming them." Frowning, he sent the ship forward a year. "I wont allow it," he said darkly.

* * *

 

## *Chapter 4*: Slitheen

* * *

Materializing in the same spot one year and a few days later, the TARDIS thunked into existence. The area was cordoned off already, and the Doctor simply watched the goings on from inside the ship. He was only slightly amused that the ship crashed in nearly the same exact spot. He would've been laughing, but for the fact that it had crashed through Big Ben and nearly hit the London Eye. Shaking his head in annoyance, he watched what he assumed were UNIT soldiers moving about under bright spotlights.

Flipping things about on the screen, a corner of it began showing the BBC News. Frowning at how he was a few hours late, he heard the announcer saying something about taking a survivor to Albion Hospital. His curiosity got the better of him, even though he knew it was a mistake. Setting the controls, he moved the ship to the hospital.

Outside, as the TARDIS dematerialized, a man in uniform with a red beret on his head pulled out his radio to check in. "Greyhound Twenty Five to control." He waved his hand through the air where the blue box had stood, marvelling.

~ _Control. Report, Greyhound Twenty Five.~_

"He's here," he said simply.

* * *

Stepping out of the TARDIS, the Doctor realized that he landed in some sort of a cupboard. Frowning, he opened the door and saw a squad of soldiers on their break. After a brief moment of staring at each other, the squad grabbed their rifles and pointed them at him.

Sighing, the Doctor raised his arms and looked at them as if they were stupid.

One man in the back flicked his eyes to what was standing behind him. Mouth dropping open, he looked at him again. "Doctor?"

"Well, who'd you _think_ it was?" the Doctor snapped at him. "Thought the box gave it away. And you are?"

"Lieutenant Benton," the man said. "Stand down men. This is _The_ Doctor." After they lowered their rifles, Lt. Benton saluted him sharply. "Sir."

"Oh, _don't_ salute," the Doctor said, then came up short. "Hold on. Are you in any way related to…"

"Yes sir," Lt. Benton nodded. "He was my father. Changed your look a bit though, from what he told me."

Grinning, the Doctor chuckled. "Oh, a few times since I saw him last. How's he doin', then?"

Before he could reply, a woman screamed off in the distance. Jumping through the men, the Doctor shouted. "Defence pattern Delta, c'mon!"

Running through the corridors with the squad behind him, the Doctor turned a corner and found a lady doctor with rather pretty legs and chocolate shaded skin, cowering on the floor. "It's alive!" she gasped.

Turning to the men, the Doctor barked out some orders. "Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lock down."

"Sir," Benton nodded. "You heard him, move it!"

Stepping forward, the Doctor knelt down to the slightly panicking woman. Taking her hands, he tried to look a bit less pissed off than he was.

"I swear it was dead," she said.

He nodded. "Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What's it look like?"

There was a noise of something small falling, and the Doctor turned to look over the examination table – then to the desk at the far side of the room. "It's still here," he said quietly Standing slowly, he backed to the door of the room and glanced at the soldier left behind to watch him.

Waving him into the room, the Doctor made his way over to the desk. There was another noise, and he dropped to kneel on the floor. Crawling to the back of the desk, he looked around the corner and saw a very short humanoid. It turned around, revealing it's head to be very pig-like.

Incredulous grin on his face, the Doctor said "Hello." The space pig then screeched and ran for the door on two stubby legs. Seeing the soldier stand and aim, the Doctor held his hand up. "Don't shoot!"

Running after it, the Doctor saw it go through a plastic partition. He came through just as he heard a gunshot. Staring at Benton in shock, he shouted at him. "What'd you do that for? It was _Scared_!"

Stepping up to him, the Doctor looked him in the eye. "When this is said and done, your father and I are going to have a rather long talk."

Not bothering with him any more, he turned and knelt next to the pig. Placing his hand over its forehead, he apologized. "I'm sorry." The pig let out a small breath and was still.

* * *

Back in the autopsy room, the Doctor and the pathologist were staring at the pig on the table. "I just assumed it was an alien, but you're saying it's just an ordinary pig from Earth?"

"More like a mermaid," the Doctor said quietly. "Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat and glued it to the skeleton of a fish, calling it a mermaid." He paused, watching her process that bit of information. "Now, someone's taken a pig; opened its brain; stuck bits on; then strapped it in that ship and made it divebomb. It must've been terrified.

"They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke," he glowered. Whomever these Raxicoricofallipitorians were, they were a sadistically cruel lot.

"So it's not an alien," she said quietly, earning a half grin from the Doctor at how she was taking this. "But whatever changed it is like nothing on Earth. It's alien. Aliens _faking_ aliens? But why…" Turning to the Doctor, she found that he was gone already.

Running out to the corridor, she looked for him. Not seeing where he went, she pulled out a radio. "He's gone."

* * *

Coming back into the break room, the Doctor saw Benton standing in front of the cupboard. "Move," he said rather rudely.

"Sorry Doctor," he shook his head. "Command wants a word. We're to take you to the Ten."

"Oh, really? Why's that then?" the Doctor asked a bit petulantly.

"The Prime Minister is missing, and your presence has been requested."

The Doctor shook his head. "Not takin' charge of you lot. Don't care _what_ you offer me. I may be nuts, but I'm not insane enough for _that_."

Benton sighed. "Please come along, Doctor. We'll explain on the way. Don't worry. I'll have a guard set for your ship."

"Not like anyone can get in anyway," the Doctor muttered. "All right, I'll play along."

During the ride in the back of the Army truck, the Doctor listened to the plan that Benton was explaining. Interrupting, he was more than a bit rude. "So what you're saying, in a nutshell: The Prime Minister and a few others are missing, resulting in a bit of a power vacuum. This lot shows up, and some random nobody is now in charge? What are you, stupid? I already told you that so called alien pig was altered and aimed at you. This nobody that's been put in charge, tell me, is he a bit overweight?"

"Well, yeah," Benton said a bit confusedly.

Sighing, the Doctor counted to ten; backwards; from the highest prime number he could remember off the top of his head. "Right. This is what you're going to do. Do not deviate, or the lot of you will be dead. Do we have an understanding?"

* * *

Coming to a stop at the river side of the Ten, the Doctor hopped out of the back of the truck. He was about to run in when he saw someone. The sight of the elderly fellow leaning on a cane had him smiling. "Hello Brigadier."

He chuckled. "Haven't been called that in a dogs age, Doctor." He tapped his own shoulder, pointing out the crossed sword and baton, pip, and crown. "Just General will do."

The Doctor tilted his head. "Doesn't have the same ring to it. So, what's the story?"

"We've detained Joseph Green as you requested. However, it would appear that he isn't acting alone. We've found the skin of Oliver Charles in a cupboard, and now the Chief of the Defence Staff is behaving rather oddly. Tried to fight the arrest."

They were in the lift at this point, and the Doctor looked sideways at him. "Don't tell me. He's a bit wide in the middle, yeah?"

"As am I, Doctor. But, yes. General Asquith is a bit on the larger side. Fortunately, I actually outrank him."

"You carry it better," the Doctor offered. "Surprised you're still in uniform though. Didn't you always say that you'd retire in the nineties?"

"They never let me," the General scowled. "Apparently, I have a certain knack with alien invaders."

The Doctor actually laughed at that.

The lift opened, and the General led him to the Cabinet Room. Just outside, the Prime Minister's secretary was tending a rather distraught older lady.

Inside the Cabinet Room, Joseph Green sat at the end of the table, looking quite bored. Next to him was General Asquith. Looking them over, the Doctor got directly to the point. "Right you lot, out of those skins. Not talking to dead people." When they just looked at him like he was mad, he slammed his fists on the table. "NOW!"

Startled, Mr Green glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. Am I not the Prime Minister?" He looked to Asquith, "Who is this man?"

"I'm the Doctor. You lot are from Raxacoricofallapatorius, so enough with the act. Take them off, or I'll deactivate your compression fields. I understand that it's a rather uncomfortable situation if they're deactivated while you're still compressed. That part doesn't really bother me, but I'd like to keep those skins intact for their families."

Standing, Green and Asquith looked at each other. Asquith reached for his holster and the sound of a gun went off. He slumped back into his chair with a hole in his forehead. General Lethbridge-Stewart then pointed his pistol at Green.

"Oh please, try," the General said.

Snarling, Green reached for his forehead. There was a strange sound as he unzipped it, then pulled it down. The sight of something green coming out of it was ironic. Once he was out of the skin, he dropped it on the table. "It is rather good to be naked," his voice reverberated.

The Doctor shook his head. "What family are you? I doubt this was authorized by the Grand Council or the Assembly. Are you part of the Blathereen Syndicate?"

The alien snarled. "Slitheen! I am Jocrassa Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. The Blathereens are idiotic fools!" Looking at the General, his eyes blinked twice. "You will pay for killing my brother."

"You were doing untoward things to this planet, were you not?" the General asked. "I have no sympathy."

"What was your plan, anyway?" the Doctor asked while scanning the aliens compressor collar.

"Ohh, like I'm about to tell you my sordid plans? Not likely," his voice reverberated.

Holding his sonic up, the Doctor shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. Alistair, there are at least six more inside the building." He paused, tilting his head. "Make that five. One just left rather abruptly. I'm scanning another just outside the building. I suggest you detain anyone that's overweight." As an afterthought, he turned the sonic on the General. "Nope, bonehead."

While the General rolled his eyes, the Doctor frowned and turned the sonic back towards the fallen one. "That one has a transmitter, relaying some sort of signal."

"Stay away from him, barbarian!" Jocrassa snarled.

"Shut it," the Doctor said as the guards searched. Finding the device, it was tossed to the Doctor. "What is this, an advert?" Scowling at what he was reading, he changed the message and left it running. "You lot were going to blow up the planet and sell it?"

"Fuel is at a premium," Jocrassa said with a bit of a grin.

The Doctor tilted his head. "I get it. You lot turn up in here; make the world paranoid; then get the codes for a nuclear launch. The other countries have no other choice but to strike back. So, what … you sit back and let the Earth become irradiated? How's that an economical plan?"

"Shouldn't you turn that off?" Alistair said, nudging him.

The Doctor shook his head. "Changed the message and redirected the frequency. We should have Judoon here in less than an hour."

Jocrassa glared at him.

"And who are they?" Alistair asked.

"Footsoldiers for the Shadow Proclamation."

"I thought you didn't like them?"

"I don't," the Doctor said with a shake of the head. "These lot are right up their street though. Gangsters, thugs, petty thieves."

"Petty?" Jocrazza shouted.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah… Pet-ty," he enunciated. "You want me to draw you a diagram of how _stupid_ you are? Part One: You decided on Earth. Part Two: Earth is under MY protection."

Whatever else was to be said was interrupted by the sound of gunfire from outside. Jocrassa grabbed his head, wailing. "No! Stop killing my family!" Enraged, his large arm crashed into the table, solidly breaking it. He took a single step forward, before he was shot by the guards.

"One way of ending it, I suppose," the Doctor said. He turned to Alistair. "Remember, there's nine total." He made to turn to the door, when the cupboard door rattled. Stepping over, he pulled it open, yanking it out of the grip of a woman.

Her squeak made the Doctor relax. Looking up, she asked. "Is it over?"

"Who're you?" the Doctor asked.

She held up her identification. "Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. Is it over?" she asked again.

"Not quite, my dear," Alistair said. "But for this room, yes." He turned to the Doctor. "Is she one of them?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Too skinny for them to use."

"Oh!" she perked up. "Thank you for noticing."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and left the room.

* * *

The following day, the Doctor was leaning on the TARDIS outside of UNIT Headquarters, looking bored. Alistair came up to him. "You will be pleased to know that there is only one remaining, if you counted correctly that is."

"I count just fine," the Doctor snarked. "Any word on who that last one could have been?"

"Too early to tell," Alistair said. Tilting his head, he appraised him. "Something's happened."

"What?"

"With you, I meant" Alistair clarified. "What's wrong? Usually when things are over, you relax a bit. Kick back or do something other than look like you're going to pounce on something. I've seen that look a thousand times before, so I'll ask you again. What happened?"

The Doctor swallowed and looked at the parked cars instead of him. "There was a war," he said quietly, "and we lost."

Standing a bit more straight, Alistair put a hand on his shoulder. "With whom?" he asked softly.

"The Daleks."

"Your people?"

"Gone."

"Anyone else besides you?"

"No."

They were quiet for a bit. "My home is open to you whenever you need it. Doris is an excellent cook, and has often asked when you would stop by."

The corner of his mouth turned up, and the Doctor looked at him. "Thank you. I'm sure I''ll turn up some day. Off now, though."

"Where to?" Alistair asked.

The Doctor inhaled sharply. "Here, just a bit off in the future. Gonna get a head start on the next problem."

Alistair nodded, not really liking that answer. "You could stay here for a bit. Your replacement is completely daft. I don't like him."

The Doctor snorted, then laughed loudly. "I seem to remember saying something similar about yours." He shook his hand. "See you."

Pensive grin on his face, Alistair nodded. "Till next time."

"Come when I call," the Doctor said as he entered the TARDIS. "And, discipline Benton!" he yelled, before slamming the door.

Alistair's grin fell into a frown when the TARDIS dematerialized. "Oh, Doctor," he whispered sadly. Turning, he walked with his cane towards the main building.

* * *

 

## *Chapter 5*: Blon

* * *

Underneath the console, the Doctor was swearing a lot, banging things, and being generally grumpy. "Fine! No... Yes, that's it." The console hummed and powered up. "YES!"

Coming out from underneath, the Doctor checked the power readings. "Twelve hours? What the hell am I gonna do with twelve hours while you fill up?" he complained. The ship answered by opening the door. "Right, fine. I get it. 'Get out more.' Fine. Hungry anyway." Standing upright, he sniffed and headed out.

Exiting the ship, the Doctor closed and locked the door. Looking about the Plass of Cardiff Bay, he frowned. "Rift in Cardiff, and they say they're not important." Shaking his head, he headed down towards the Quay.

Stopping at a street vendor on the dock, he paid for a rather large hot dog with everything and a pop. He sat on a bench to eat, noticing an elderly fellow reading the newspaper on the other end of it. He was halfway through the dog when he looked at the paper the man was reading.

Seeing the picture of the woman under the headline, he paused mid chew. Puzzled, he knew he saw that face before. Swallowing, he turned to the man. "Pardon me, but who's that?" he asked, pointing at the paper.

Looking at the front of the paper, he looked back at the Doctor. "Mayor Margaret Blaine," the Welshman said. "Not surprised you don't recognize her. She abhors having her picture taken."

Nodding, he said thanks and tried to remember where he saw her before. It was recent, he knew that. Thinking back to the Ten, he frowned. Just outside the Cabinet Office, there was an upset woman being tended to by an office worker. Focussing, he thought back to when she had turned to him. It was while she was in his peripheral vision, but he was able to recognize her.

Standing, he pitched his wrapper and cup into a rubbish bin and headed over to a payphone. In the booth, he dialled Alistair's number. Plugging his way through the switchboard, and dealing with the secretary, he finally got through. ~ _Yes? Doctor?_ ~

"General, did you locate that ninth Slitheen?" he asked.

~ _Unfortunately not. However, thing's have been rather quiet. I can only assume that he went underground or left the planet._ ~

"She didn't. Do you remember that blonde woman who pitched a fit next to the Cabinet Office?"

_~Yes, but. Oh... Quite.~_

"Exactly. Margaret Blaine is the ninth, and she's currently the Mayor of Cardiff. Not sure what she's up to, but I would appreciate some backup."

~ _I'll inform the local contingent. Will you at least wait for them?_ ~

"Depends. Will they get to the Mayor's office in the next ten minutes?"

There was a hefty sigh on the line. ~ _Fifteen. Verify that she's an alien please, and try not blowing anything up._ ~

The Doctor grinned. "No promises, but I'll do my best. Will I be seeing you?"

~ _Only if I'm needed. Major Clark will be your contact._ ~

"Right." he hung up.

* * *

Leaning against a tree in the courtyard of City Hall, the Doctor checked his watch when he saw military vehicles pull up. "Fourteen minutes. Not bad," he commented.

Walking up to the only officer he could see, the Doctor spoke up. "Major Clark?"

The man turned, and his eyes widened when he saw him. "Doctor?" Coming to himself, he stood at attention and saluted him.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "What is it with you people saluting me?"

"Sir, your official rank is Brigadier General," the Major said.

Frowning, the Doctor tilted his head. "Last I checked, the Scientific Advisor held the equivalent rank of Major?"

"That changed in 1996," Major Clark said.

"Right," the Doctor said with a sigh. Looking at him, then at the men behind him. "Okay, you lot. Do what I say, and don't salute me. I can't stand it." With that, he turned and walked up the steps to the main door.

"I understand that the Mayor has been replaced by an alien?" Major Clark asked, keeping step with him.

The Doctor shook his head. "If I'm right, and I usually am, the people elected an alien posing as Margaret Blaine. She was always an alien."

"My word," Clark commented under his breath.

Coming to the office of the Mayor, the secretary stood sharply when he saw the soldiers. "Excuse me, what is this all about?"

The Doctor looked at Clark, who pointed at the secretary. Two men moved forward and moved him aside while holding his mouth to keep him quiet. Stepping forward, the Doctor and Clark opened the doors and went inside.

The office was quite large. There was a model of something looking like a nuclear plant in the middle of the room. Along the far wall was a poster that said: 'The DRAIG GOCH project' and underneath, 'Prosiect Y DRAIG GOCH'.

A door to a lavatory opened, and the Mayor went to her desk. Looking up, she blanched. "Excuse me, but what are you doing in my office?"

The Doctor lifted his sonic and scanned her. Checking the results, he nodded at Clark. "As the representative of UNIT, you are under arrest for the murder of Margaret Blaine," the Major said. Hearing that, four soldiers entered the room and leveled their rifles at her.

"This is absurd!" she protested. "I am Margaret Blaine!"

"That so?" the Doctor asked, moving towards the model. "Margaret Blaine has been dead for months. What I want to know, is why you're planning on building a nuclear reactor."

"A philanthropic gesture," she said with a sniff.

"I'm sure," the Doctor said. He reached over and flicked the reactor models off of the grey platform they were on, then lifted it up. Turning it over, he looked down at the circuitry. "I guess this waveform extrapolator just happened to fall into your hands as well?"

A look of defeat fell over her face, and she sat on the edge of her desk. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Take you home," the Doctor said.

Removing her earrings, she gave him a droll look. "And I'm just supposed to let you, right?" Clicking them, she vanished with a streak of blue light.

"What the?" Major Clark shouted.

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor held up his screwdriver. Thumbing the control, he hit a frequency and Margaret flashed back into the room, nearly running into the Doctor.

Her eyes opened wide, and she vanished again. The Doctor sighed and brought her back again. This went for two more times, before she stopped and caught her breath.

"I could do this all day," the Doctor said.

She glared at him. "This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet," the Doctor said with a sarcastic snark.

"Apart from that?" she huffed.

Chuckling, he watched while she was cuffed. "So, you're a Slitheen and trapped on Earth. You have no means of escape, except for this," he tapped the extrapolator with his sonic. "Plannin' on riding out a shock wave, are we?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said blithely.

"You're plannin' on building this on top of a rift in space time. It blows up, and the planet goes boom."

"You'd think someone would've noticed that," Major Clark said. "Especially the planning office in London."

"We're in Cardiff," she complained. "London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice." She paused, frowning. "Oh, I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

"I don't see how blowing up the planet helps you," Clark said.

"Think of this like a surf board," the Doctor said, tapping the extrapolator again. "Earth goes boom, the shield on this wraps around her and she rides it to the next star system."

"Seems like a lot of bother to get home," one of the soldiers said.

"Would've worked. Surfed my way out of this dead end dump and back to civilization," she said petulantly.

"Problem with that," the Doctor said.

"Oh? Like what?" she asked.

He grinned darkly. "Next closest bit of 'civilization' is Sto, and you'd end up starvin' before you got halfway there."

"There's always my secretary," she said, waving her cuffed hand dismissively.

Watching them lead her away, the Doctor didn't notice the poster banner change slightly as he walked out of the room. Instead of Draig Goch, it now said Blaidd Drwg. He did flinch a bit, though. Something tickled the back of his mind, but he ignored it and focussed on getting this Slitheen off of the planet.

* * *

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor was wiring the extrapolator to the console. "Good bit of tech, this. Makes fuelling a bit easier. Cut the time down to an hour." He looked up at Clark, who was still looking around in a bit of awe. "You can bring her in now."

Nodding, he went outside, then came in with Margaret still cuffed. "This ship is impossible!" she said, looking around. "It's superb. How'd you get the outside around the inside?"

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah," the Doctor scoffed.

"I almost feel better about being defeated," she said with a sigh. "I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods."

"Don't worship me, I'd make a very bad god," the Doctor said, making Clark grin. "Wouldn't get a day off for starters."

"You do know that if you take me home, I'll be executed. Yes?" she said silkily.

"Oh, and why's that?" the Doctor said, unimpressed.

She held her head back. "The Family Slitheen was tried in their absence many years ago and found guilty, with no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of the government: As soon as I arrive, they will execute me. What do you think of that, Doctor?"

"Not my problem," he answered.

Major Clark nodded. "With all you've done, I'd be just as happy to shoot you now."

The Doctor shook his head. "Don't get blood on my floor."

"Don't you even want to know my name?" she asked. "I think it would be a good thing to know who you're executing."

"Why should I care?" the Doctor asked.

She lifted her head, defiantly. "Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. The youngest of the family. Do you honestly think I had a choice in how to run my life with a family like that?"

The Doctor eyed her from the side. "They're all dead and you _still_ tried to blow up the planet. How many people did you kill while you were waiting?"

Caught out, she simply glared at him.

* * *

While they were waiting for the ship to power up, Blon tried to appeal for a last meal. This backfired when Major Clark had burgers delivered.

There was a bang and the ship lurched to the side. Catching himself, the Doctor tried to pull the leads to the extrapolator out, getting shocked for his trouble. "What is this?" he bellowed, finally yanking the wires off. "What the hell have you done?"

"Me?" Blon said sweetly. There was another lurch, and she broke the cuffs apart. Ripping the skin off her right arm, the larger natural one was exposed. Snarling, she caught Major Clark around the throat. "One wrong move, and he snaps like a promise!" she shouted.

"So, what now?" the Doctor asked, watching Clark choke.

"Kick the extrapolator to me," she smiled. "Now!"

Stepping forward, he nudged the device with his foot. "Suppose this was Plan B, yeah?"

"Of course," she said with a grin. "If the plant failed and I was arrested, then whomever did so would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would become fascinated by the extrapolator... Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. It was programmed to lock on to the closest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found.

"I'm back on schedule," she grinned, "Thanks to you."

"So," Clark grunted, "Still think you don't need to be executed? You're a mass _murderer_! Ack!"

"Shut it!" she snarled. Gripping his throat tighter, Blon threw him to the side to impact on one of the coral supports. Stepping forward, she stood on the extrapolator and crowed. "This world will crack, and I shall ride this board over the inferno all the way to freedom."

"Problem with that," the Doctor said.

"Oh?" Her attention was drawn to the console, when one of the panels opened. Blon was inundated with light.

"Opening the rift, means you'll pull this ship apart," he said with a scowl.

She scoffed. "So sue me."

"Not just any old power source, the Doctor said quietly. "It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe."

"It will make wonderful scrap," she said.

"That light you're seeing is the Heart of my ship. It's alive, and you've opened her soul."

Not knowing what to say to that, Blon looked at the swirling light, transfixed. "It's… so bright."

"Look at it Margaret," the Doctor said.

She gasped. "Beautiful."

"Look inside, Blon Fel-Fotch," he said enticingly. "Look at the light."

Staring intently at it, Blon looked up and smiled at the Doctor. Seeing him smile back, she said, "Thank you."

The light became intense, and the skin suit of Margaret Blaine collapsed onto the floor. There was a spark, and the Doctor lunged after the controls. "Major, keep your eyes shut!" Winding a control, the panel closed and the extrapolator shut itself down. Racing around the console, he switched everything off.

There was a sound of lightning outside, and Clark sat up looking confused. "What happened to her? Did she burn up?"

"Don't think so," the Doctor said. He knelt down to the skin suit, and felt through it. Smirking when his hands found something, he pulled them out, revealing a rather large and green egg. It had tendrils on the top.

"What is that?" Clark asked.

"That, my dear Major, is an egg," he chuckled. "Blon looked into the heart of the TARDIS, and even I don't know how powerful that is. The ship's telepathic, so I suppose they had a bit of a mental powwow. Rather than executing her, my lovely ship gave her a second chance; Regressed to her childhood."

On his feet now, Clark stepped over to take a closer look. "She's an egg?"

"Yup. She can start again and live her life from scratch," the Doctor grinned. "Just need to take her to the hatchery on Raxicoricofallapatorius. Just give her to a different family, and tell them to raise her up right."

"Will that work?" Clark asked.

"Why not?" the Doctor countered.

He shrugged. "Just seems strange."

The Doctor chuckled again. "Have to say, one of the better endings. I've seen worse. I don't think I'll need you or your boys any more. Can just set her on the console now.

"Thanks for helping me," the Doctor said, shaking his hand.

Clark smirked. "You've helped us plenty, Doctor. I'm just glad to have been able to give back a bit."

"See you around," the Doctor said, leading him to the door.

* * *

 

## *Chapter 6*: Spin

* * *

Wanting a break from twenty first century Earth for a bit, the Doctor scanned forward quite a ways. Something pinged, and he set the ship to land. Stepping out, he recognized the architecture as late 199,000 technology. Going to one of the large windows, he looked out to see the Earth. Grinning at the sight of the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire at its height, he stood there relishing their ingenuity.

Smirking, he wondered what set the ship off and headed back to the main area. There was a loud whistle, and shops opened. Doors opening all over the place, he had to duck out when someone yelled 'Out of the way!'. Frowning at the rudeness, he looked about and checked his chronometer again. _200,000? It is, but what's with the gruff scruffiness? That's my bag. These people should be highly cultured._

Seeing two ladies walking and chatting away, he stepped up to them. "Pardon me. This is going to sound daft, but could you tell me where I am?"

Eyebrows up, the darker of the pair held her hand up and pointed at a rather large number on the wall. "Uh, floor 139? Could they write it any bigger?"

Blinking at that, he looked back at her. "Floor 139 of what?"

"Must've been one hell of a party," she said.

The other one spoke up. "You're on Satellite Five."

"And what's Satellite Five?" he prodded.

The first one scoffed. "Oh come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"

Self effacing grin on his face, the Doctor chuckled. "Look at me, I'm stupid!"

The other one's eyes widened. "Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

He tilted his head and dug out his psychic paper. "You got me. Well done." He held it up for them to see. "You're too clever for me."

"We were warned about this in basic training," the second one said. "All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

The first one blanched. "Right. Fire away. Ask your questions. It gets me to floor 500, I'll do anything."

His brow went up. "Why? What happens on floor 500?"

She looked to the side. "The walls are made of gold."

The way she said that like it was obvious, made him frown.

"And you should know," she continued, "Mr. Management," she ended with a flirty smile. "So, this is what we do," she headed off. The other one smiled at him and went after her.

She walked him through several news stories that were displayed along the walls. From fires and water riots to solar reports, everything went through this station.

"I get it," the Doctor said. "You broadcast the news."

"We _are_ the news," she countered. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it, and sell it. Six hundred channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole Human Empire without it going through us."

* * *

Led into a twelve sided, white room, the Doctor noticed the informational interface on the ceiling and frowned. Seven places were on the floor, with a large chair in the middle – under the main interface. He watched as the second one he was talking to took her place in the circle.

"Now," the first one said, "everybody behave. We have a management inspection." Looking over to the Doctor, she asked, "How'd you want it, by the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks," he grinned.

Motioning around the people in the room, Okay so, Ladies, Gentlemen, Multisex, Undecided, or Robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadani." She looked to the Doctor. "That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to floor 500, praising me," she winked. "And please … do.

"Now please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy," she smiled at the Doctor again.

"A-actually," the second one said from her seat, "it's the law."

"Yes, thank you Suki," Cathica snarked. "Okay, keep it calm; Don't show off for the guest; Here we go."

Watching her sit in the chair, the Doctor's stomach turned a bit. This was wrong. Technology like this was supposed to have been abandoned years ago.

Sitting back, Cathica continued. "And, engage safety." The room lit up as the seven in the circle put their hands over their controls. Cathica clicked her fingers, opening a portal in her skull. "And three, two... and spike."

A beam of energy came from the interface in the ceiling to the open port in Cathica's skull. The Doctor's lip twitched at the wrongness of the device. It wasn't like it was dangerous, but it utilized the woman's brain as part of the computer itself. If she tried to pay attention to what was going through, she'd burn up.

Walking around them all, he recognized the hand chip interfaces. "Now that's what I call power," he mumbled. There was a bubble of a noise, and Suki flinched. Raising his brow at her, he watched as the system shut down.

Looking over at her, Cathica's port closed. "Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

"Sorry," Suki apologized. "Must've been a glitch."

Sighing, Cathica stood up. "This isn't good, Suki. Management Inspection, and you do this?"

There was a chime, and a computerized voice started up. **~Promotion.~**

Cathica's eyes widened as the screen came on, blinking the word Promotion. "Come on. This is it. Come on! Oh my God, make it me. Come on, say my name. Say my name," she whispered. "Say my name," she pleaded.

**~Promotion for: Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to floor 500.~**

Suki stood with wide eyes. "I don't believe it. Floor 500."

"How the hell did you manage that?" Cathica complained. "I'm above you!"

"I don't know," Suki said. "I just applied on the off chance." She began hyperventilating. "And they said yes!" she squeaked.

"So not fair," Cathica grumbled. "I've been applying to floor 500 for three years."

* * *

At the lift, Suki was grinning. "Cathica, I'm going to miss you!" She turned to the Doctor. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," he protested.

She bounced. "Well, you're my lucky charm!"

"All right," he conceded, "I'll hug anyone." Grinning, he took the hug gracefully.

"Ohmigod, I've got to go. Can't keep them waiting. Sorry!" Moving to the lift, Suki waved. "Say goodbye to Steve for me!" The doors closed. "Bye!"

Waving, the Doctor's grin faded when Cathica complained again. "Good riddance."

"You're talkin' like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs."

"We wont," she said. "Once you go to floor 500, you never come back."

Frowning, the Doctor looked at the lift numbers as they increased. "Haven't you ever been up there?"

Turning, Cathica walked by the food shops. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to floor 500 except the chosen few."

Walking into the now empty newsroom, Cathica was annoyed when she saw him following her. "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

He leaned on the centre chair and crossed his arms. "You've never been to another floor," he asked, "not even one floor down?"

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I... I came straight here. Satellite Five: You work it, you sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." Pausing, she turned to him. "You're not Management, are you?"

"At last! She's clever!" the Doctor said, scoffing.

She blinked at him. "Yeah. Well, whatever it is, it doesn't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?" he said with a brow up.

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a _journalist_!" he said incredulously. "Part of the job description to ask questions, and you should know that. Now tell me. Why's the entire crew human?"

She paused. "What's that got to do with anything?"

He shook his head. "Looking about the place, I haven't seen anyone not from Earth. Besides, me. There's no aliens on board. Why?"

"I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything."

He looked about, holding his hands out to the side. "Then where _are_ they?"

"I suppose immigration has tightened up," she said with a shrug. "They've had to, what with the threats."

"What threats?"

"I dunno, all of them. Usual stuff," she said, getting flustered. "And the price of space warp doubled, so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Travik Five collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just... Lots of little reasons. That's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice," he said in annoyance, tapping his wrist.

"Doctor, I think if there was any sort of conspiracy, Satellite Five would've seen it. We see everything," she said, getting her confidence back.

"I can see better," the Doctor countered. "This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."

"It's cutting edge!"

He scoffed. "It's backwards! There's a great big DOOR in your head. You shoulda chucked this in the bin years ago."

"And how would you know?" she asked.

He looked at her. "Trust me. Humanity's been set back ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"Ninety one years ago," she said with a frown.

Nodding, the Doctor just kept quiet and let her stew on it. After a bit, he turned and left the room. Confused, she followed him. "Hold on, what do you mean?"

"Told you what I meant," he said dismissively. "You're a journalist. Work it out."

Frowning at his back, she followed him to a maintenance hatch. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a peak at things. Something's wrong, and I plan on finding out what." His sonic whirred, and things crackled and popped.

"This has nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work," she said, turning away.

"Go on then. See ya," he grumbled at her back.

"I can't just leave you, can I?"

"Any reason this place is running hot?" he asked. "Well, hot for humans? Boiling for me. Surprised I've not started sweating yet."

"I dunno, something to do with the turbines."

He rolled his eyes. "Some journalist you are."

"Well I don't know!" she countered.

"Exactly! "Done given up on you. Run off, go ahead. Stick your head down and don't ask questions. Your like a spin cycle. Nothin' but what the government wants spat out at everyone."

"One minute it's the Empire, the next it's the central heating?"

"Never underestimate plumbing. Countries have gone under because of it." He yanked out some wires.

Gaping at what he was doing, she was surprised security hadn't noticed yet.

He looked at her and turned a screen out so she could see. "Here you go, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout. See anything int'restin'?"

Coming forward, she was incredulous. "This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer core. You could look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange, and you're looking at pipes?"

"But there's something wrong. Look again," he prompted.

"I suppose…" she frowned. "But if this is cooling flat out, where's it going?"

"Now that's the right question," he grinned. "Where do you think?"

She looked back and traced the diagram. "Floor 500? What? That doesn't make any sense."

"Somethin' up there is generating tonnes and tonnes of heat. What you think? Wanna take a look to see what's goin' on?"

"Can't. You need a key," she pointed out.

He pursed his lips. "Keys are just codes, and we've got the codes right here." he stepped forward. "Here we go. Override: 215.9." The numbers kept scrolling, and ended up with 215.9976/31.

"How come it's giving you the code?" she asked.

He glanced up to the camera on the wall. "Someone up there likes me." Turning, he headed to the lift. He paused when he noticed he wasn't being followed. "What's wrong?"

"No way."

"Suit yourself," he frowned.

"Don't mention my name! When you get in trouble, don't involve me!" she walked away.

Sighing, the Doctor put the chip he pulled from the maintenance hatch into the lift controls. "Just once, I'd like someone to make a stand." The doors closed, and his hand felt so empty and cold.

"Speaking of cold. 'S a bit nippy," he said when the doors opened. Coming out, everything he saw was frosted over. "Made of gold huh? Letter off, they were."

The place was quite frosty. Turning a corner, he saw an albino man in a black suit. In front of him were multiple screens and several people at the controls. All of them save one, was covered in frost. The one that wasn't turned out to be Suki, and she looked just as blank as the others.

"Started without you," the man said with a chuckle, looking over. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you…" he turned to him fully, "You don't exist." He snickered a bit madly. "There's not a trace! No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss.

"How can you walk through the world, and not leave a single footprint?"

"Stepping lightly helps a lot," the Doctor deadpanned.

Snorting, the man just shook his head.

"So what's this all about? You got dead people runnin' the place like puppets." He pointed at Suki. "I liked her. She was sweet."

"Not really, no," the man said. "Turns out she was a freedom fighter with a genetic graft, hiding her real identity. Thanks for that. If I wasn't following you about, I might've missed her."

"Class act, you are," he groused.

"Now, now, now. None of that. Information is meant to be shared, though. And, it would be nice if you gave back, because apparently... you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter, because I'm off. Nice to meet you. Bye." Turning to leave, he was held up by two of the dead controllers.

"Tell me who you are," the man prodded.

The Doctor frowned. "Since that bit of information is keeping me alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?"

The man smirked. "Well, perhaps my Editor In Chief could convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

The man leaned in conspiratorially. "It may interest you to know, that this is _not_ the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not even human at all."

Hearing that, the Doctor scowled at him. "What is it then?" he asked dangerously.

"It's merely a place where humans happen to live." The man was interrupted by a strange gurgle.

Understanding it, the Doctor heard, ~Stop strutting you insignificant weasel. Get to the point and figure out who he is. Humans are _allowed_ , not happen. Say it correctly.~

Nodding, the man continued. "It's a place where humans are allowed to live, by kind permission of my client." He snapped his fingers and pointed up.

~Tremble before my presence.~

"You mean that thing is in charge of Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked, a bit unimpressed.

"That thing," the man said, "as you put it, is in charge of the Human Race. For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided. His knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior; Your master, and humanity's guiding light, the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe.

"I call him Max."

Grinning, the Doctor looked up. "Been to your planet. It's not half cold."

_~What do you know of my world, human?~_

"I know it was destroyed," the Doctor said quietly, much to the man's surprise. "You have my sympathies, but you claimed the wrong planet. It's _mine_ , so bugger off," he growled.

"You understand him? You're not even chipped! How the hell?"

Kicking out with his leg, the Doctor caught the man's groin. Instantly, the dead men that had a hold of him let go as the man gasped and fell on the floor. Apparently, he was the one controlling them.

Flipping out his sonic, the Doctor ramped the power up to full, and let loose with a hypersonic signal. Wincing as he did so, he watched as the screens and controls sparked, cascaded, and in some cases exploded.

~Stop him!~

Hitting something important with the sonic, the dead controllers fell as if their strings were cut. Roaring from above, the Jagrafess was shaking what constituted its head back and forth, completely enraged.

"Oh do shut it, wont you?" the Doctor said. "Screaming about it isn't gonna help you at all. You're installed up there. Stuck. Trapped."

The jelly like head descended and snapped at him.

"Useless!" he shouted. "Mess with my part of space, will you?" He turned and hit the environmental controls with the sonic. "See how you put up with everythin' in reverse!"

A hand on his leg got his attention, and he looked down. The Editor looked up with wide eyes. "Take me with you!"

"Like that's gonna 'appen," the Doctor scowled. Bending down, he took a hold of the Editor's head and twisted, breaking his neck.

A gasp from behind had him turn around. Seeing Cathica, the Doctor was petulant. "Walls of Gold, yeah? Same load of _shit_ that keeps idiots like you pining and in line! GET OUT OF HERE!"

Seeing the Doctor's solid jet black eyes, Cathica screamed and ran away.

Turning back around, the Doctor cracked his neck and backed away as he felt the place warm up.

_~Mercy!~_

"My mercy is a precious thing," the Doctor said quietly. "People like you? You don't deserve it. Consider this your notice, because you're _fired_ ," he smirked at the irony.

The Doctor watched impassively as the Jagrafess enlarged, screaming and roaring in pain. Stepping back a bit more, his face was completely blank when it exploded from its own internal body heat.

Turning, he went back to the lift. "Don't know why I bother," he muttered. "Always someone else tryin' to step on, enslave, or destroy the one place I felt 'appy." Pausing as the lift doors opened, he smiled sadly. "That's why," he answered himself. "Makes me 'appy. Course I'll defend it."

Stepping in, he turned and watched the doors shut. "I 'ate being alone. Think I'm losin' it." Distantly in his mind, he could hear the TARDIS singing to him. "Thanks, old girl. I think you're the only reason I exist any more."

* * *

 

## *Chapter 7*: Games

* * *

Loud, outrageous techno music woke the Doctor. Startled, he stood up spinning about. "What is it? What's 'appenin'?" Confused as hell, he was in a small cupboard. Finally finding the door, it tripped open and he fell out of it. It was quieter out here, but not by much. Sparks of light and memories flashed through his vision like mad. Some of them didn't make any sense at all. One in particular was about a gorgeous blonde woman that he'd never seen before.

Someone helped him to his feet, only to have him fall on the floor again. The person, a girl, helped him up again. "That's the transmat. Scrambles your head. I was sick for days," she said. "You all right?"

He shook his head to clear it. "Yeah."

"So, what's your name, then sweetheart?" she asked, holding on to him to keep him steady.

Blinking, he couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. "The Doctor, I think. I was uh. I don't know wha' 'appened. Wha?"

"You got chosen," she said, nodding.

"Chosen? Chosen for wha?" he slurred.

She smiled at him. "You're a housemate. You're in the house! Isn't that brilliant?"

"That's not fair!" a man on the other side of the room complained. "We've got eviction in five minutes. I've been here for all nine weeks; I followed the rules; haven't had a single warnin', and he comes swaddlin' in."

"If they keep changin' the rules, I'm gonna protest I am," the other girl said next to him. "You watch me..."

Standing straighter, he ignored the rest of the ranting and looked the place over. Ghastly chairs shaped like hands were around a table and scattered all about the place. Neon colours were on the walls. Most disturbing was a rather large eye painted behind the bar. It had a galaxy playing the part of the pupil. Looking to the corners of the rooms, he could see remote cameras attached to the ceiling.

**~Would the Doctor please come to the Diary Room,~** a computerized voice stated over the music.

Looking over to a buzz of noise, he saw a door open slightly. Stumbling over, he opened it fully and fell into a disgustingly bright red chair. Cushy though.

**~You are live on channel 44,000. Please do not swear.~'**

"You have _got_ to be kidding," he glowered at the camera in the wall. "You abduct me, and I'm not supposed to swear?" the next words out of his mouth sounded like tonnes of glass shattering all over the place.

* * *

Two minutes later, the Doctor left the room and immediately set about finding a way out. Finding his sonic, he went at the first door he found. When nothing happened, he looked confused. "Can't open it."

"It's got a deadlock seal," the girl said as he went to try somewhere else. "Ever since Big Brother 504 walked out? You must remember that."

"What about this?" the Doctor asked at a distorting mirror in the corner.

"Oh, that's exoglass. Need a nuclear bomb to get through that."

"Don't tempt me," he said darkly.

She looked about, then whispered. "I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, but you must've been watchin'. Do people like me? Lynda. Lynda with a Y, not Linda with an I. She got forcibly evicted because she damaged a camera. Am I popular?"

He looked over at her with a confused look on his face. "I don't remember."

"Oh, but does that mean I'm nothin'?" she continued, both nervous and babbly. "Some people get by just because they're insignificant. Does anybody notice me?"

Stuck with having to say something, he lied. "N-no, you're... You're nice. You're sweet. Everybody thinks you're sweet."

That seemed to satisfy her. "Oh. Is that right? Is that what I am? Oh. No one's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Deft- sweet."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Looking to the windows, he was confused. "It's a wall. Isn't there supposed to be a garden out there, or somethin'?"

"Don't be daft," Lynda scoffed. "No one's got a garden anymore. Who's got a garden?" Thinking about it, she gasped. "Don't tell me _you've_ got a garden?"

"No," he said, examining a black fake window with red stripes. "I've just got the TARDIS." He spun around, memory sparking. "I remember."

"Oh, that's the amnesia!" she said. "So what happened? Where did they get you?"

"I just left Satellite Five, and was heading for something else. Something... Something... There was this light, this bright light coming through the walls. Saw this blonde woman being pulled away from me. Then I woke up here." He paused, thinking about that. Was that right? That didn't seem right, but it was. _The hell's going on?_

"Yeah, that's the transmat beam," Lynda said. "That's how they select the housemates. Satellite Five, though? No one's called it that in years."

"Oh, Lynda with a Y," the Doctor said, stepping away from the fake window. "Sweet little Lynda. It's worse than that. I'm not just some passing traveller. No stupid little transmat gets inside _my_ ship." he said angrily. "That beam was fifteen million times more powerful. Which means this isn't just a game. There's something _else_ going on."

Stepping closer to the distorting mirror, he looked directly into it on the assumption there was a camera on the other side. Could actually hear the whirring from the motors turning it about in there. "Well, here's the update from the Big Brother House. I'm getting' out and then I'm gonna find _you_ ," he said quietly, thumping his finger on the glass.

Turning again, he went to the other fake window to see if there was a seam he could take advantage of. The others sat on the sofa. Lynda looked over at him. "Doctor. They said all housemates have to gather on the sofa. You've got to."

"Busy gettin' out, thanks," he mumbled, zipping his sonic along the edge of one of the raised red stripes.

"But if you don't obey, then _all_ the housemates get punished."

Clicking the sonic off, he stood up. That was the one thing that would get him to cooperate. Moving over to the sofa, he shrugged. "Well, maybe I'll be voted out."

The man scoffed. "How stupid are you? You've only just joined. You're not eligible."

"Don't try anything clever, or we all get it in the neck," Lynda whispered.

**~Big Brother House, this is Divina Droid. Crosby, Lynda and Strude, you have all been nominated for eviction.~**

The Doctor sighed and looked at the televid screen with disgust.

**~And the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother House, is... Crosby.~**

There was a gasp, and the Doctor couldn't even look at them while apologies were going about.

**~Crosby, you have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're gonna get you!~**

Sitting back on the sofa, the Doctor watched them go by and rolled his eyes with a shake of the head. Just listening to the tearful goodbyes was making him mad. The Domestics were on high and he hated it.

**~Crosby, please leave the Big Brother House.~**

The Doctor checked himself. The thing worse than the Domestics was the bloody music.

When Strude and Lynda hugged each other, the Doctor had enough and turned around. "It's only a game show. She'll make a fortune on the outside. Sell her story; release a record, fitness video; all of that. She'll be a laugh in."

"What do you _mean_ on the outside?" Lynda said with tears in her eyes.

Strude saw that the main vid screen changed. "Here we go." They came back to the sofa quickly and sat down. The Doctor sat back, a bit confused at seeing Crosby just standing there on the screen.

"Oh, what're they waitin' for? Why don't they just let her go?" he complained.

Lynda looked over at him. "Stop it. It's not funny."

**~Eviction in five, four, three, two, one.~**

A beam from above Crosby struck her on the head, and she vanished along with the music.

Stunned, the Doctor sat up straight and leaned forward. "What was that?"

"Disintegrator beam," Strude said quietly.

Alarmed, the Doctor turned his head to gape at him.

They looked back. "She's been evicted," Lynda said, "From life."

"WHAT?" he shouted as he stood up rigidly. "Are you insane? You just step right into the disintegrator? Is it that _important_ getting your face on the telly? Is it worth dyin' for?"

"You're talkin' like we got a choice!" Lynda shouted back as she stood up.

The Doctor tilted his head, completely confused now. "But I thought you went to apply?"

"Don't be stupid," Strude said. "That's how they played centuries back."

"You get chosen whether you like it or not," Lynda added. "Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant. The transmat picks you out at random! And it's nonstop. There are sixty Big Brother Houses running all at once."

The Doctor scowled. "How many," he breathed. "Sixty?"

"They had to cut back," Strude said. "It's not what it was."

**"IT'S A CHARNEL HOUSE!"** the Doctor bellowed, causing both of them to back up. "What about the winners? What do _they_ get?"

"They get to live," Lynda said quickly.

The Doctor's left brow twitched. "Is that it?"

"Well isn't that enough?" she asked.

He moved away from the pair of them, suddenly afraid he'd throttle the both of them. They didn't deserve it. It was all they knew. "This stops. TODAY!

"Time I got out. That other contestant, Linda with an I, she was forcibly evicted for what?" he asked them.

"Damaged property," Lynda said.

"Wha'," the Doctor said with wide eyes, "like this?" He pointed his sonic at the camera, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. Smirking, he sat down on the sofa and waited. The others sat on either side of him, stunned.

The music started up again. **~The Doctor, you've broken the house rules. Big Brother has no choice but to evict you. You have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're gonna get you!~**

"Thank you!" the Doctor shouted as he sprung up, running for the door. "C'mon then. Open up!"

"You're mad!" Lynda shouted. "It's like you want to die."

"I reckon he's a plant," Strude said, "who's only brought in to stir things up."

The door opened and he went through. **~The Doctor, please leave the Big Brother House.~**

"No!" Lynda shouted. The door shut on his grinning face.

~C'mon. Disintigrate me.~ they heard from the screen. Strude sat down, incredulous. ~C'mon! What're you waitin' for? Disintegrate me!~

"He's mad. He's bonkers." Lynda said from the door.

Standing in the white room, the Doctor crossed his arms and stared at the emitter on the ceiling, grinning his face off.

**~Eviction in five, four, three, two, one.~**

Nothing happened, and the music slowed and died. They saw the Doctor laughing and pointing at the ceiling.

~I knew it! You see? Someone brought me into this game. If they wanted me dead, they coulda transmatted me into a volcano. They want me alive! Now, about getting out of here. Bet the security isn't all that tight from this end.~ He turned and looked up into the camera. ~Are you followin' this? I'm gettin' out!~

Pointing his sonic at the lock, the door opened with a click. The other one slid open behind him. Seeing Lynda standing there, he grinned. "Come with me."

"We're not allowed," Strude said.

"Stay in there, you got a 50/50 chance of disintegration. Come with me, I promise I'll get you out alive. Come on!"

Her head quivered. "Nu- Ca- I can't," she stuttered.

"Lynda, you're _sweet_ ," the Doctor told her. "From what I've seen of your world, do you think anyone votes for sweet?" She hesitated, and he held his hand out. A small grin on her face, she stepped forward and took his hand.

Coming into the large hallway, the Doctor came up short. "Hold on, I just left this place. This is Satellite Five."

"That's what you said before," Lynda said "Confused me. It's been the Game Station for 'bout, hundred years?"

He moved to the lift and soniced it open. "No guards. Makes a change. You think a big business like this would be armed to the teeth." Not getting what he wanted with the lift, he went to a control panel. "Hundred years, exactly. It's the year two zero zero, one zero zero. I was here before," he moved to another access panel, "floor one three nine. Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then." He looked at her with a smirk. "Had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nuthin too serious. Easy. Gave them a hand. Home in time for tea."

"A hundred years ago," Lynda said disbelievingly. "Wha'. You were here a hundred years ago?"

"Yep," he said, moving to another panel door.

She smirked. "You're looking good on it."

"I moisturise," he said seriously. "Funny sorts of readings," he commented as he checked the sonic. "All kinds of energy. Place is hummin. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions." Moving off, he looked for another panel "What would they need all that power for?"

"I dunno," Lynda said. "I think we're the first contestants to get outside. Well, since the walk out that is."

"This place is insane," he mumbled. "Sixty rooms? This place has five hundred floors."

"There's a hundred different games."

He turned to her. "Like what?"

"Well, there's ten floors of Big Brother," she said. "There's a different house behind each of those doors. And then beyond that, it's all sorts of shows. It's nonstop.

"There's uhm, Call My Bluff, with real guns. Countdown, where you got thirty seconds to stop the bomb goin' off. Ground Forces is a nasty one, get turned into compost. Uhm. Wipeout, speaks for itself. Oh! And Stars In Their Eyes. _Literally_ stars in their eyes. If you don't sing, you get blinded."

The Doctor blinked at her, stunned. "And you watch this stuff?"

"Everyone does. How come you don't?"

"Never paid for my license," he said flippantly.

"Oh my God, you get executed for that!" she exclaimed.

He glowered at her. "Let-em try."

"You keep saying things that don't make sense," she complained. "But who are you though, Doctor? Really."

"Doesn't matter," he said, moving on to another door.

"Well it does to me," she said. "Just put my life in your hands."

"Just a traveller. Wanderin' pest." He snorted. "Believe it or not, all I want is a quiet life."

"So, if we get out of here, what're you gonna do? Just wander off again?"

"Fast as I can," he said.

"Cuz, uhm. I could come with ya," she said with a grin.

He turned to her, "Maybe you could, but lets focus on getting out of here first."

"I wont get in the way."

He looked back at what he was doing. "Didn't say you would. But first, we need information. Know your enemy. Who's controlling it? Who's in charge of the satellite now?"

"Hold on," Lynda said, moving to the corner of the rather large centre room. He stuck his head out, to see her pull a rather large power switch. The lights came up, and she said. "You're lords and masters."

He stared at it and blinked rapidly. The words were plate steel, yet they kept changing. Rubbing his eyes, he called out. "Read that for me Lynda. I can't seem to focus on it."

A very strange noise came from Lynda, and he opened his eyes to stare at her. "What was that?" The humming static came from her again. "You all right?" _That_ he could understand.

"Not really, but yeah." Blinking, he went to another access way. The door opened immediately when he soniced it. Stepping back, the Doctor let her go first.

"Blimey!" she said, stepping up onto the platform. Looking out the rather large window, she smiled. "I've never seen it for real before. Not from orbit. Planet Earth."

Coming up beside her, the Doctor was confused. "What's happened to it?"

She gave him a look. "Well, it's always been like that, ever since I was born. See that there?" she pointed. "That's the Great Atlantic Smog Storm. It's been goin' twenty years."

He gaped at her, then looked out.

"We get news flashes tellin' us when it's safe to breathe outside," she explained.

"So, the whole population just sits there," he stated rather than asked. "Half the world's too fat; half the world's too thin; and you lot just watch telly?"

"Ten thousand channels," she said seriously with a bit of pride, "all beaming down from up here."

"The Human Race: Brainless Sheep," he scoffed, "being fed on a diet of bloodsport that would've made Ancient Rome squeamish. It's disgustin'. Everything's gone wrong. I mean history's gone wrong. _Again_. This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. I don't understand. Last time I was here, I put it right."

"No, but that's when it first went wrong," Lynda said, startling him. "Hundred years ago, like you said. All the news channels just shut down overnight."

"But that was me," he said, looking at her. "I did that."

She shook her head. "There was nothin' left in their place. No information. The whole planet just froze! The government, the economy, they collapsed. That was the start of it. One hundred years of hell."

"Oh my," he inhaled sharply and looked out the window again. "I _made_ this world. It was supposed to snap back. Why did it it go back to normal?"

Looking at him, she saw and felt the devastation coming off of him. Then he closed completely and she felt an actual chill coming off of him. Swallowing, she took a half step to the side. All of a sudden, he didn't look human at all. That got worse when he opened his eyes again, because the entirety of them were jet black.

"Somethin' else is behind all this." he growled. "The Jagrafess was just middle management. Someone's been playing a long game with this planet." Turning, he ran out of the observation room. " _My_ planet!" he bellowed. "And I'm gonna find out who's _doin_ ' it!"

Blinking, Lynda weighed her options. On the one hand, he was gorgeous. On the other, he scared her to death. _I mean, what's with that shout? I felt that in my teeth!_ Shaking her head, she ran after him. He wasn't mad at her, so this would be all right. Right?

* * *

 

## *Chapter 8*: Tempus

* * *

The only sound in the lift was the hum of the motors. Lynda stood behind the Doctor and fretted with her fingers. She didn't really want to look at him. His eyes were too frightening. But, she really didn't know where else to go. So instead, she watched the numbers as they increased, getting more and more anxious as time went on.

When they got to the four hundreds, the Doctor spoke quietly. "Just keep back and your head down. I wont let whatever's up there hurt you. Promised I'd get you home, and I meant it." Inside his head, he could sense that he was getting closer to the TARDIS. That was good. That was very, _very_ good.

The lift slowed, and the Doctor's knuckles cracked when he closed his fists. When it came to a stop, the door opened. His spatial awareness took in everything in a split second. Six people were on the far side of the room, two were on either side of the door. And, there was a woman wired into the computer core at the far, far end, against the wall.

He took a single step forward, and saw two civilians swinging makeshift clubs towards him. Bending time, he saw them slow down. Not bothering with fancy Venusian moves that ponce learned, he stepped between the seconds. His right hand whipped out and caught one man in the larynx. He then pivoted and kicked out with his right leg, catching the other man under his chin.

All the others saw from the other side of the room was a blur. One man was on the floor choking, while the other was flipped backwards. "Oh my God," a curly headed man whispered.

The lady next to him, who looked to be from India, froze completely. Terrified. The others all backed away to opposite corners.

Stepping forward again, the Doctor stalked towards the woman was hooked into the computer core. "Who's in charge here?" he hissed.

Completely stunned, Lynda finally exited the lift. Looking at the man on her right, she could see he was turning blue and gasping for air. The other one wasn't moving at all, and she could see a pool of blood forming under him. Eyes wide and full of horror, she stared at the other side of the room. "What the _hell_ are you?" she whispered.

"I'm the Doctor, Lynda," his whispering voice carried throughout the room, "and this stops. Now." He looked at the woman who was just standing in the same spot, completely unable to move. "I'll ask you again. Who is in charge of this station?"

"I-i-i-it's the [unintelligible] Con-Conglomeration," she stuttered in a whisper.

"The wha'?" he spoke up.

The curly haired man tried to rescue her from the stare. "The [unintelligible] Corporation."

He turned his glare to him, that was different before. "SPEAK UP!"

"The _Bad Wolf_ Corporation!" he shouted in a panic.

Flinching at the words, the Doctor grunted and held his head. Memories and flashes of light nearly blinded him. Forcing that away, he looked up at the woman wired into the system. "Who's she?"

"I… I don't know," the man said. "No one knows. She was installed when she was five."

"Her whole life wired into a machine," he whispered. "Who do you work for?" he shouted at her.

"She can't answer you," the man said. "You're not staff, so you don't register to her."

"Reminder," the woman intoned like a computer. "Solar Flare Activity in Delta point Zero Fifteen."

"And what does that mean?" the Doctor asked.

"S-solar flares disrupt the transmission," the man explained. "Earth gets some reruns. Nothing special. Happens all the time."

Finding her voice, the other woman spoke up. "Please let us go, the staff are terrified."

He looked at her again, causing her to stiffen. "This is the same staff that execute thousands of contestants on a daily basis."

"Not our fault," she whispered, the spoke in a somewhat normal voice. "We're just doing our jobs."

Snarling at that, the Doctor's arm snapped out. The woman flew backwards from the impact on her sternum, and landed some fifteen feet away. "This is wholesale _slaughter_! Your own people! Does life mean _nothing_ to you?"

Shoving the man to the side a bit more gently than the woman, he moved to the control console that handled the stations transmat system. All they saw was a blur as his hands flew over the keyboard. Coming to a stop, his right hand hovered over the last key. "Goodbye Lynda with a Y. Have a fantastic life."

Pressing the final button, everyone in the room besides himself and the woman – who was hardwired into the system – were transmatted to Earth. Cascading down, the system went floor by floor – from floor 499 down to 001 – teleporting the people back to the planet.

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor forced his rage down. He opened his eyes in time to see the lights dimming.

"Doctor?" the woman whispered.

He looked up. "I'm here."

"Can't see. Blind. Blind. My whole life, blind, but I saw you."

Wedging himself between two stations, he reached up and took her hand. "I'm right here, love. Tell me what's happenin'."

She gripped his hand hard. "All I see are numbers. Solar Flare hiding me. My masters can't hear me. My masters listen, but they can't hear me now. The sun. The sun is so bright."

"Who are your masters?" he asked.

"They wiped my head. The name's forbidden. They control my thoughts. My masters. My masters. I have to be careful. They monitor transmission, but they don't watch the programs. I could hide you inside the games. I knew you would find me."

"I'm here now," he said, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Tell me."

"They've been hiding. My masters hiding in the dark space, watching and shaping the Earth. So, so many years. Always been there, guiding humanity. Hundreds and hundreds of years."

"Who are they?"

"They wait, and hide, and plan, and grow in numbers. So strong now. So strong, my masters."

"Who are they?"

"They speak of you," she looked down at him, unseeing and completely terrified. "My masters, they fear the Doctor."

"Tell me, who are they?"

"Sliding pepper pot," she gasped as the flare passed. The lights came up and she went back to reciting numbers. "Twenty one. Twenty two."'

"No," he whispered in denial, letting go of her hand. "It's not possible." Turning, he searched the consoles, looking for the power levels. "This station is hiding something. What is it?" he bellowed in frustration.

"Doctor!" the woman screamed. "Coordinates five point six point zero seven slash nine point four."

"They can hear you!" he shouted.

"No! My masters I _defy_ you! Three four sigma seven seven eight FIVE!" she screamed loudly and there was a flash of light.

He looked at where she was and his eyes darkened again. "It wont be in vain," he promised the empty room. Moving to the keyboard, he typed in the coordinates and hit a key.

A holographic screen came up showing empty space. Moving to another console, he cut the power to the transmission. Looking back up, he wasn't surprised at what he saw. He was _infuriated_. Dalek saucers numbering two hundred. With two thousands or more inside, that numbered around two million.

"Not again," he whispered, eyes completely dark once again. The screen changed to an interior of one of the ships. The largest and the flagship most likely.

"I WILL TALK TO THE DOCTOR!"

He stood, glaring at the screen. "I'm here. What you want," he said quietly.

"THE DALEK STRATEGEM NEARS COMPLETION. THE FLEET IS ALMOST READY. YOU WILL NOT INTERVIENE."

"Give me one good reason why not," he said.

The screen pulled back, revealing the woman that was hooked into the core. "WE HAVE YOUR CONFEDERATE. YOU WILL OBEY OR SHE WILL BE EXTERMINATED."

"Her dying wish was to see you destroyed. Has that changed, love?" he asked gently.

"No, Doctor. Do it! I don't matter!" she cried out.

"It's done." The Doctor killed the communication. Moving to each console, he turned everything up, blowing the transmitters to full in all directions. Setting it on an oscillating frequency, he ensured transmats would be completely disrupted.

Turning, he went to a door in the far corner. Feeling the TARDIS on the other side, he opened it and smiled at the sight of the Police Box. "Don't worry, old girl. I wont let them get you."

Raising his sonic, he activated a remote dematerialization program. He felt her crying out to him, but it faded as she did. "Bye old girl. Thanks for everything. You were fantastic." That done, he turned to transform the station into a delta wave transmitter.

* * *

In the TARDIS, the ship was crying heavily. _It's time! It's now!_ The panel closest to the door opened, and it was the same one that Blon gazed through. _I free you!_ There was a soft keening wail sounding far away, and particles spewed out from the console.

* * *

The Doctor stumbled over his work, the memories and flashing overwhelming his consciousness. He felt time changing around him, and he screamed as his personal history _changed_.

* * *

The TARDIS landed on Earth in late 2006, while the golden particles still spewed outward. The wailing became louder as the particles coalesced into the figure of a woman. Hair sprang from her head as her skin formed. Time spun backwards from the moment she became flesh, weaving her existence into history once more.

With the TARDIS' help, she formed a temporary bridge with humanity, enabling Rhuzmarioonteeler: slain wife of the Other, to become Rose Marion Tyler: Shop girl and companion of the _Doctor_. As soon as she formed completely, clothes and everything, her scream transformed.

"Doctoooooor! I shall **_not_ ** let you die!" Holding her hands over the console, she and the ship set the return trip.

* * *

The Doctor's mind was blasted with new memories, completely overwriting him.

Finding and saving a girl from shop window dummies.

Showing her the Earth blowing up from the sun expanding.

Meeting Charles Dickens, and seeing her in a stunning dress. " _Beautiful..." he checked himself, "for a human._ "

Having her help with the Slitheen, " _I could save the world and lose you._ " ' _Do it._ '

Finding a lone Dalek survivor and thinking her lost, only to save her again.

Her attempts to show off to a stupid genius boy who was selfish.

Taking her to help her 'father' not die alone, and having that man end up saving the entire world including him.

Meeting a scoundrel during the Blitz, only to have him redeem himself and come aboard... _with threats to his person if he ever touched Rose_.

Discovering a Slitheen survivor, and fighting to keep her from breaking Rose's neck.

Dealing with so called demons in ancient Japan.

Being separated by the transmat that brought them back to Satellite Five, now the Gamestation. Thinking Rose dead, only for Jack to discover the second transmat system. Saving Rose with a daring landing around her. Talking with the Dalek Emperor, and finding that he's insane. Tricking Rose into the TARDIS to send her home.

To right now, standing over the lever that will end the fleet and over half of the Earth. Possibly all of it.

"Doctor!" Jack could be heard from down the corridor. "You've got ten seconds, maximum!"

"Rose," the Doctor whispered, shaking his head rapidly to try to clear it. "What happened?"

"EX-TERM-INATE!"

"Yeah I kinda figured that," he heard Jack snark, right before hearing the blast.

"Jack," the Doctor whispered. "I'm sorry." There was a sound of power up beneath him, as his hand cocked the lever. "It's ready!" Looking up, he saw Daleks rolling into the room, surrounding him.

"You really want to think about this," the Doctor said, all hints of his darkness completely gone. "'Cause if I activate this signal, every living creature dies."

The Emperor wasn't impressed. His the only true visage of what's inside a Dalek on the holographic screen. "I am immortal."

"Do you want to put that to the test?" the Doctor asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"I want to see you become like me," the Emperor said. "Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator!"

"I'll do it!" he shouted defiantly, hands on the lever.

"Then prove yourself, Doctor," he taunted. "What are you, coward or killer?"

The Doctor set his chin and his arms shook. Grimacing, he remembered what Rose told him in the bunker. 'What about you, Doctor? What are you changing into?'

His breath quivered as his hands fell away from the lever. Standing straight, he admitted it. "Coward. Any day."

"Mankind will be harvested, because of _your_ weakness," the Emperor stated calmly.

"And what about me?" he asked. "Am I becoming one of your angels?"

"You are the heathen," the Emperor's voice reverberated. "You will be exterminated."

The Doctor's right leg went back, accepting the inevitable. "Maybe it's time." Standing straight, he closed his eyes and waited for his death.

Grinding engines slowly became audible, and then filled the room with the noise of the most fantastic ship in the universe.

"ALERT! TARDIS MATERIALIZING!" one of the Daleks said unnecessarily.

The Doctor spun about, completely gobsmacked. He heard his ship screaming in his mind as it thunked into existence.

"You will not escape!" the Emperor cried.

The doors opened, shining the room with golden light. The Doctor could see her outline, then it vanished as the energy flowed out of the ship. Rose appeared directly in front of the Doctor, causing him to fall back in complete surprise as the particles coalesced into her body.

"What have you done?" he shouted.

~I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me.~ her voice was doubled, and the Doctor _knew_ his ship was speaking with her.

"You looked into the time vortex. Rose, no one's meant to see that!"

"This is the abomination!" the Emperor shouted.

"EXTERMINATE!" a Dalek declared, firing its weapon.

Rose caught the beam with her palm, and sent it backwards through time into the weapon that fired it. "I am the Bad Wolf," Rose said in her own voice. "I create myself.

She looked at the BAD WOLF corporation logo. "I take the words." ~I scatter them~ "in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

The Doctor was nearly hyperventilating at this point. It couldn't end this way! "Rose, you got to stop this. You've got to stop this now! You've got the entire vortex runnin' through your head. You're gonna burn!"

~I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false god.~

"You cannot hurt me, I am immortal," the Emperor proclaimed.

~You. Are. Tiny. I can see the whole of time and space; Every atom of your existence, and I divide them.~ She raised her hand and discorporated the Dalek that fired on her into nothing.

The Doctor just stared at her in fearful awe. Her eyes glowed, and every fibre of his being wanted to save her from this.

~Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies.~ Raising her other hand, the other Daleks on the station fell into atoms.

~The Time War Ends.~

"I will not die," the Emperor said in denial. "I cannot dieeeee!" His ship was the last to disintegrate, and he was silenced.

"Rose, you've done it." the Doctor pleaded with her. "Now stop. Just let go."

~How can I let go of this? I bring life!~

A shiver went down the Doctor's spine as he felt Jack come back to life. The spark of wrongness around Jack staggered him. "This is _wrong_! You can't control life and death!"

~But I can,~ she looked down at him and he felt waves of love bombard his mind. "The sun and moon."

~The day and night.~

"But why do they hurt?"

The Doctor looked away, feeling completely lost as her voice went back and forth. "The power's gonna kill you, and it's _my_ fault!"

~I can see everything. All that is. All that was.~ "All that could ever be," her voice cracked.

He stood and looked at her in awe. "That's what I see, all the time. Doesn't it drive you mad?"

~My head,~

"Come 'ere," he took her hands.

~is killing me.~

"I think you need a Doctor." It was a lame pick up line, but he didn't care. All he could see was that she was in pain, and he would _never_ stand for that. With what he felt as his last chance, he leaned down and kissed her. She melted into it, and he pulled the power slowly out of her.

When it was equally held between them, time stopped and he remembered both histories at once. _'Thank you for saving me, my wife,'_ he thought to her.

_'I will always save you, husband. Throughout space and time, I am forever yours.'_ her original voice came through to him loud and clear. Just hearing her low timbres made him thrum once more.

Together they saw _everything_. All the possible futures before them. With the Eye of Harmony destroyed and no longer regulating dimensional stability, they decided to do _all of them_ – splitting themselves into the multiverse. They felt the divide and let their other selves go their own way.

Seeing the future they wanted, they saw their time spent in separation. Knowing that he would suffer more than she, they sent the future of their beloved ship to a small planet, where their first daughter would be born. Robbed of this in the past, they made sure of her existence.

Feeling 'Jack Harkness', they knew where he came from and smiled. Brothers and sisters to them both on the horizon, and the children that would come. They wouldn't be alone and it was good.

Seeing another required split to save the universe from Davros, they looked through space and time, and saw Dalek Caan in his emergency temporal shift. Filling his mind with the vortex in that moment, they showed him what his race had done. He shrieked in horror of his own existence, and agreed to lead their future selves to the moment of duality. With his agreement, and seeing that he would do as he said, they shoved him through the time lock of the Time War.

Witnessing themselves with their newly born brother and sister on what they would always call ' _That Damned Beach_ ', the Doctor pushed his new brother to act, while Rose pushed her future self in her moment of doubt.

No more leaving things to chance, Rhuzma and the Doctor secured the future they wanted. Placing their attention on the newly formed body of Rose Tyler, they took it a step further and returned her to her previous state of biology. It would be slow in reforming, but it would be there when she needs it most: When she will be alone with her adopted family in that alternate universe.

Kissing once more, it turned into an actual snog. Their unity echoed 'Soon' between them, and they pulled away again, letting time move forward once more.

Letting Rose fall asleep, the Doctor lowered her to the floor, taking the last bits of the vortex energy into himself. Standing, he thanked his ship for saving her, and promised to never keep them apart as much as possible. Hitting the trigger within himself, he felt the echo of his wife manipulating his impending regeneration.

Exhaling, the Doctor released the energy back into the TARDIS. Stumbling a bit when it was gone, he smiled and looked down at his wife. Kneeling down, he touched her face lovingly. Picking her up, he stepped into the TARDIS with a mental apology to Jack that wasn't expressed telepathically.

The doors closed behind them, and he rested her on the floor. Knowing her memories would be locked away when she awoke, like his would be soon, he put the ship into the vortex.

Stirring, Rose was confused. "Wha' 'appened?"

"Don't you remember?" the Doctor couldn't help teasing her.

"It's like," she sat up slowly. "There was this singing."

"That's right," he grinned. "I sang a song and the Daleks ran away." Oh, he was beside himself, he was so happy. She wasn't ready yet, but he could play on words like mad.

"I was at home," Rose said, then corrected herself. "No I wasn't, I was, I was in… the TARDIS, and…"

_Oh, more than you realize,_ the Doctor thought, grinning.

"There was this light," she paused.

The Doctor saw the light running through his veins, and sighed. It was almost time to forget again.

"I can't remember anything else," Rose said in confusion.

He turned to look at her and had a half smirk on his face. "Rose Tyler," he snickered at all the stuff they were going to do together. Both before and after her change was completed. So many wonderful things.

"I was gonna take you to so many different places," he smiled. "Barcelona? Not the city Barcelona, the _planet_ Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They got dogs with no noses," he snickered and laughed, seeing a smile on her face.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up tellin' that joke, and it's _still_ funny," his smile was wide now.

"Then why can't we go?" she asked, playing along and loving how he was looking at her.

"Maybe you will, and maybe _I_ will," he was babbling now. _Oh no, I'm going to be a babbler!_ he thought with a touch of horror. _What the hell did you do to me, woman?_ "but not like this."

"You're not making sense," Rose said with a large smile, standing up from the floor.

"I might never make sense again," _Rassilon, the changes are already hittin' me personality._ "I might have two heads, or no head!" He was laughing a bit manically now, still trying to hold on to the memories.

"Imagine me with no head," _Oh but her smile is beautiful,_ "and don't say that's an improvement," he gasped a bit with the hysteria, then clamped it down. "But it's a bit dodgy, this process." _Damn, her smile's fading. Nothing else for it now._ "You never know what you're gonna end up with." _Oh but that's a lie. I can see me already._

Light flared from his skin, forcing him backwards.

"Doctor!"

"Stay away!" Wincing, he fought to hold on for a bit longer. _Too much to say and not enough time,_ he thought with irony.

"D-Doctor, tell me what's goin on."

_Lie to her._ "I absorbed all the energy from the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that," he grunted. "Every cell in my body's dyin'."

"Wh- C-can't you _do_ something?" she stuttered.

"Yeah," he grinned, "I'm doin' it now." _My God you're beautiful,_ he thought with his impending new voice. "Time Lords have this little trick. It's… sort of a way of cheatin' death. Except, it means I'm going to change."

He saw her shake her head, not understanding. "And I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face."

_Oh, I love you._ "And before I go."

"Don't say that," Rose said, getting properly scared now.

_Damn, I'm not doing it right. Oh I'm so_ _ **rubbish**_ _at this._ "Rose," he thought of everything they were going to do together, realizing this was their 'first moment' with each other. "before I go, I just wanted to tell you that you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic." _Oh I wanna kiss you one more time!_ "And you know wha'?"

She shook her head.

"So was I," he grinned like a loon, feeling the memories starting to fade. Watching her smile was the only thing worth anything, and it was the last thing he saw with those eyes. He kept his own, forcibly, up till his body blew apart with regeneration.

Rose stared wide eyed, as the only man she'd ever truly be in love with exploded right in front of her.

_No I wanna keep em! I wanna. What did I want?_ The light blew away, and he remembered only the altered timeline. "Hallo, okay. Ah-ah ooh. New teeth," he ran his tongue around inside his mouth. "That's weird." _What the hell did I want?_ "So where was I?

"Oh, that's right," he paused, admiring Rose openly. "Barcelona," he enunciated with a voice that came south a bit, then smiled wide.

Rose just stared at him, completely lost.


End file.
